The Sun and the Moon
by Sainji
Summary: Byakuya/Soi. Without the sun, there is no moon.
1. Elegance

A/N: Soi/Byak...huh...Is this weird? Am I weird? I don't know....Somehow I feel that they work well together. Slight OC on Soi's part.

_**Elegance**_

Feet tamped practically unnoticed on the damp floor of a large, lush forest. Winded gasps escaped the lips of a young Captain who wiped the fine layer of sweat forming on her forehead.

Why was she so sluggish today? Was it the running fever she had? She shook her head in frustration, the metal rings in her hair clanking together as she made for the old tree trunk in the center of the clearing. She decided she'd rest for a while.

There was something about the mystical forest that she loved, perhaps it was the silence. There was no noise, no birds squawking. Just the distant babble of a stream and the occasional rustling leaves in the wind.

Or, perhaps, it was the connection she felt. She already had keen senses, but it was as if the earth spoke to her. She _knew_ when someone was approaching, she _knew_ if that someone was a threat to her. For instance, right now, at this very second, she _knew_ a certain Captain was watching her bemusedly-from a safe distance, of course.

Soi pondered if she should feel disturbed or honored, but figuring that since it was none other than Captain Kuchiki Byakuya--a man of seemingly masculine elegance- she decided on the latter.

Now, she was struck with the thought of _why_ he was watching her. Perhaps he was just out for a walk, seeking refuge from his duties. She often found herself doing this, strolling and gathering her thoughts, and absently stumbling into the training grounds of the man.

She often found herself transfixed by his movements, how his muscular body moved with surprising swiftness. How, when he swung his zanpakutou, it seemed as if he were dancing a dangerous waltz with his invisible opponent.

She was often mesmerized by his beautiful, yet deadly, Bankai. The pink 'petals' that floated daintily in non-existent wind.

She stretched her sore muscles, shaking her head and chuckling to herself. No, it was evident that she watched him during his training mainly due to her attraction to the cold man. She didn't have the guts to confess, either way, she wasn't interested in relationships. She had her own problems, she didn't need someone else around.

Slouching forward, she rested her elbows on her knees, clasping her hands together. Brow knitted, she pondered what it _was_ exactly that she liked about him.

Perhaps it was his cold demeanor. The fact that he kept people at a distance, much like herself, that made her want to get closer.

His piercing eyes, knowing, wandering, deep.

His handsome face, thin and soft, gentle...yet stern and fierce.

A sigh escaped her lips, no there was no use in thinking about this.

Stretching one more time, the girl stood and retrieved her Zanpakutou, perhaps it was best to call it quits for the day.


	2. Grace

_**Grace**_

There was a certain charm to the girl, and the collected captain absolutely _could not_ put his finger on what exactly it was.

So, in a vain attempt to figure it out, he made to list the qualities of the girl.

She was agile, quick on her feet. Surprisingly she was slightly quicker than he was, but not exactly on par with the Flash Goddess.

She was resourceful, often the man found that the other captain spent days training in the mystical forest, with _little _to no supplies. When he ventured out, he found her makeshift camp, always in the same spot. It seemed comfortable, fitting. She fashioned almost barbaric tools for hunting, she rarely used her weapon. Though Shinigami weren't required to eat to sustain strength, she did it nonetheless, which intrigued the man even more.

She was strong. He had to admit, her feats had him impressed from the beginning. He knew great things were destined for her.

When she trained, when she fought, she was graceful. He admired the way she seemingly soared from tree to tree almost leisurely.

He felt embarrassed for watching her, though he knew she watched him as well. And he prided himself in it, he always made sure to put on a show when he knew she was hiding somewhere in the background.

Glancing down at the bothersome paperwork the Captain sighed longingly. His normally stern face now placid. Standing from his wooden work desk he wandered aimlessly towards the large window opposite the small room. He listened to the birds peeping happily, it was Spring, a warm breeze entered the room carrying a light scent of ginkgo.

His heart raced as he caught a glimpse of the ninja wandering around aimlessly, seemingly bothered by something. She had an expression on her face that caused the man to smile warmly, she was thinking long and hard about _something_. Her nose wiggled and her face pouted slightly as she turned things in her head, she bit her lip and tapped her chin before folding her arms across her chest. She nodded, confirming _something _before she turned and locked eyes with the Captain that was staring at her.

Face flushed, she stumbled and waved awkwardly before taking off towards her quarters.

Slightly embarrassed, yet amused all the same, Byakuya returned to his desk. Any thoughts from before long gone as he mused on the slightly uncharacteristic behavior of the distant woman.

He chuckled lightly to himself, "she's...unpredictable."


	3. Smile

A/N: O! OC, how I abhor thee!

_**Smile**_

She always seemed angry, tormented and troubled by the events of her past. That's all she'd ever seemed to him. She never smiled, well, genuinely at least, because when she _did_ smile at someone, they were usually at the end of their lives. She always seemed strong and collected, despite the hate that danced in her dark eyes.

So imagine the 6th division captain's surprise when he heard faint weeping in the distance. He was on his nightly stroll, enjoying the light chirping of grasshoppers and soft rustling of leaves in the wind. Curious, though not entirely concerned, the captain followed the faint noise.

What he stumbled upon, was an oddly fragile Soifon standing on a bridge, elbows perched on the rails, staring out at the moon's reflection in the river. She wiped her eyes and let out a shuttered sigh.

Confused and shocked, the raven haired man stood, rooted to the ground. His limbs refused to move him, and from his sheltered spot he was happy the girl could not spot him. That wasn't to say, she couldn't _sense_ him.

Kami, his heart stopped when her posture grew rigid, and her fragile expression became stoic and hard once more. He swallowed nervously, shaking his head. She was still a child, by his terms at least, she should not feel ashamed for crying.

He knew why she was crying, it was this night, years ago, that the former 2nd division captain Yoruichi Shihōin had betrayed the Gotei 13. At least by _his_ terms. At such a young age, the girl was abandoned by her master. The woman she adored and admired. Clenching his fists and setting his jaw the captain urged himself back to his original path, making a swift detour and appearing as though he hadn't seen the girl standing on the bridge.

Face placid once more, the handsome man strolled towards her. She turned at the light tamping of his feet. "Captain." She nodded in acknowledgment.

The man looked up solemnly, "Soifon." His voice broke involuntarily, the kid did a terrible job at hiding the fact she had been crying. He pretended not to notice. "Quite a pleasant night for a walk, is it not? I'm not surprised to find another out."

She nodded, before returning her longing gaze at the moon.

Byakuya stood beside her, hands clasped behind his back.

"It must be lonely." Soi's voice rasped.

"Hm?" The man was caught by surprise, "What?"

"The moon. It must be lonely. It is the brightest thing in the sky, the first thing you notice, yet so distant. So...mysterious."

"I don't think so." He placed a hand on the railing.

"And why is that?"

"It has the sun, does it not?" A fond smile crept across his features, "the sun gives it its light. Otherwise, it would be a dark orb blending with the night sky."

"So you are saying its companion is the sun.."

"Disappointed?"

"Intrigued." she pursed her lips, "there's a man I know...."

"Is that so?" He quirked an eyebrow.

Nodding, she continued, "he reminds me of the moon. Distant, yet bright....Mysterious and keen."

"There's a girl I know..." 

A soft chuckle, "is she like the sun?"

"She's like the moon, as well."

They found themselves standing in comfortable silence. The wind blew gently, and Soifon found her body being turned, her dark orbs staring into deep, concerned pools.

"Stop this." His voice was stern.

"Stop...stop what?" Her heart thundered in her chest, before she could process what was happening she found herself in a tight embrace. She was shocked, dumbfounded. Her personal bubble was utterly obliterated.

"Just...." His voice broke, "There's strong...and there's stubbornly strong. You don't...Have to deal with this on your own, you know that."

She brought a hand up to push him away, but found that his arms were too strongly wrapped around her, that, or she simply _did not_ want to leave. Her throat was burning, teeth gritted and eyes brimming with warm moisture. She refused to let the tears fall.

It hurt him, he found out, it hurt. It hurt to see her struggling with her conflicting fears, it hurt him to see her distance herself simply because she feared being hurt again.

And he felt it. He felt his cold heart tremble as she buried her face in his chest, warm tears seeping into his clothing.

He held her.

He wondered just how long it had been since he last held another so close, but it felt...so right.

Seconds turned to minutes, and he lost track of how long they remained in each others arms. He hadn't noticed her shifting movement to wrap her arms around _him_ and grip tightly to the cloth on his back, however he did notice the grip slacken, he heard the sobs eventually subside. The man refused to let her go, afraid she would run off in an instant. Afraid that, like a bird, she would spread her wings and take off.

She didn't seem to want him to let go either, face still buried in his chest, possibly a natural reflex of embarrassment.

"Don't go..." He felt her turn her head to the side, she refused to look up at him, but he saw the flush of pink on her face. The rejuvenated stubborn pout on her face.

"I wont." Voice softened, he reached up and stroked her soft, dark hair. "I promise."

With renowned confidence, she looked up into his eyes, a doubting look in her face that soon melted into a thankful smile when she saw the sincere look on his face.

He swore his heart melted in that very second, "I..." he couldn't believe what he was about to say, "I...I will be your sun.....I will help you shine!"

If she wasn't so shocked by the declaration, she would have laughed out loud at the uncharacteristic blush that played on the otherwise serious man's face. Burying her face in his chest once more she smiled to herself, butterflies in her stomach. "Thank you." For once in her life, she was genuinely happy, "its means a lot to me."


	4. Promises

A/N: Oh hi, old friend OOC.

_**Promises**_

They stole glances every chance they got. The other Captains did not seem to notice, or care for that matter, what changes had come across them.

Soifon was happier, her training had intensified since that night. She seemed to have gained new strengths having gotten her burden off of her chest.

Byakuya, though seemingly the same cold man on the outside, seemed easier on his subordinate Renji, who just figured it was one of his Captain's rare _good_ months.

By day they could not communicate with one another, always running around, always busy with something or another. But at night, they met on the bridge, they shared idle talk and exchanged stories of what they did that day.

The two were content with their situation, though they didn't hug or involve themselves in intimate activities, just the presence of the other was enough to please.

That wasn't to say that either one _didn't_ want to hug, or kiss, or hold hands. They were nervous despite their comfortable greetings. Neither one was ready to melt into a lifestyle of depending on one another.

This night, however, Byakuya was caught off guard at the feeling of Soifon leaning lightly against him. He stiffened at first, an action that Soifon noticed immediately and caused the girl to immediately pull away. Regret setting in his stomach, the man reached out and pulled her close, her back leaning against his front.

He thought back to the meeting of the day, a topic they both decided to skip over completely.

He was to aid Kurosaki with Kenpachi at Hueco Mundo, whereas Soi was to defend Kurosaki's home with the other captains.

It was a suicide mission, they both new. They were confident in their strengths, but _nobody_ knew of the other tricks the swine had hidden in his bag.

Perhaps Soi sensed his tenseness, for she looked up at him, "are you...thinking about..?"

"Yes."

"Oh."

The night became tense with silence, spontaneously interrupted by chirping crickets.

"I don't want to go."

"Neither do I, Soi."

The young girl chuckled, "this is strange, correct?" she played with the cloth of her Captain's uniform, "any other day I would...simply take it without a second thought."

"Was...was this a bad idea? Are you regretting...?" He was uncertain of her statement.

"Probably." She looked up at him again, his face upside down from her position, "I can't say for sure, but I feel that if this hadn't happened....well....Its hard to explain." She was at a loss for words, and the man chuckled.

"I think I get what you are trying to say, though." He bent forward (considerably so, since the girl was _quite_ short) and placed a hesitant and gentle kiss on her lips. He pulled back and looked to the skies, "Right then, make me a promise."

"hunh?" Slightly dazed, the ninja remained staring up at the captain.

"Promise me we'll meet again, after everything that unfolds tomorrow." He squeezed her hand gently.

"Idiot." She turned and punched him gently on the shoulder.

"....?" Shock played on his face.

"Remember, that night you promised not to go. Not to leave me." she shuffled her feet, " so of _course_ I won't leave _you_ either. There's strong, and then there's stubbornly strong. I'm too stubborn to die _that_ easily." A playful smile graced her lips as she stood on her tiptoes, arms wrapping around the older mans neck and pulling him down so she could place her lips gently against his. She felt his strong arms wrap around her as he gave in and deepened the kiss.

Pulling away once more they looked at each other with new found longing, and made a silent promise.


End file.
